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Critical Acclaim

Wine Enthusiast - "The botrytis is amazingly perfumed, smelling like a Paris perfume shop. The fruit is lost in a crazy range of exotic flavors. Fun, but very different.
Barrel Sample: 90-92 Points"

ST91

International Wine Cellar - "Bright yellow-gold. Spicy peach, honey, marzipan and vanilla on the rather suave nose. Then ripe and creamy in the middle palate but with very good definition to its flavors of stone fruits and sexy oak spice. Finishes quite long and pure, with noteworthy clarity and grip."

WS90

Wine Spectator - "Honey, apple pie, dried pineapple and acacia aromas follow through to a full body, with medium sweetness and a spicy, viscous finish. Best after 2010. 5,000 cases made."

Chateau Rabaud Promis Winery

Located opposite the Chateau d'Yquem, the Rabaud-Promis castle, quietly lying on the hill Rabaud since the late eighteenth century, offers its facade, designed by architect Victor Louis, the rising sun. His vineyard, the creation of which coincides with the birth of Sauternes, spreads peacefully on the gentle slopes that surround the house.
Premier cru classified in 1855, the story of Chateau Rabaud-Promis is a real saga, owned by cutting change owner until 1950, when it was bought by Louis Raymond Lanneluc. The property is exclusively family managed by Michele and Philippe Dejean and his son Thomas, representing the 9th generation of winemakers in Sauternes.
View all Chateau Rabaud Promis Wines

About Sauternes and Barsac

The regions of Sauternes & Barsac are both located southeast of Graves, almost directly south of St-Émilion, and hug the Garonne River as it curves. Both areas are dedicated to producing sweet, white wines. The rains, the mists, the humidity and the climate, all help foster the necessary mold that leads to the unfortified, but lusciously sweet wines produced there.

Notable Facts

Semillon is the primary grape here as it takes well to bortrytis, also known as "noble rot." Sauvignon Blanc is used in the blend to add acidity to the richer, thicker Semillon. The process for making the sweet wines of Sauternes and Barsac is long, labored and costly. Adter it has reached maximum ripeness, the Semillon grapes are left on the vine until they are infected with botrytis. This helpful mold then shrivels the grapes, concentrating the sugars but maintaining the acids. Weather is not always agreeable and berries must be picked at just the right moment, all by hand. The grapes yeild less juice than dry wines, due to their shriveled and concentrated state. Some houses, like the famed Chateau Yquem, will not make a wine in a less-than-perfect year. All these factors lead to highly prized, and often expensive, wine. However, the taste is well worth it. In the palate the wines of Sauternes & Barsac are luscious and sweet, yet with the balanced acidity to keep them from being too cloying or candied.

Wines with the Sauternes AC must be sweet - dry wines are labeled under the Graves or Bordeaux AC. Barsac wines may be labeled either Barsac AC or Sauternes AC. Typically, Barsac wines are a little lighter in body and less intense than Sauternes.

About France - Other regions

When it comes to wine, France is a classic. Classic blends, grapes and styles began in the country and they still remain. Think about it - people ask for a Burgundian style Pinot Noir, they refer to wines as Bordeaux or Rhone blends - Champagne even had to pass a law to stop international wineries from putting their region on the label of all sparkling wine.

The top regions of France are: Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, Languedoc-Roussillon, Loire, Rhone. And these regions are so diverse! It makes sense that wine regions throughout the world try to emulate their style. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and
Syrah are no longer French varieties, but international varieties. They may not be the leader of cutting edge technology or value-priced wines, but there is no doubt that they are still producing wines of great quality and diversity.

Pieure d’Arche is a blend of 80% Semillon and 20% Sauvignon Blanc. Prieure d’Arche combines the richness, finesse, and vivacity
of a great Sauternes and represents outstanding value for the appellation.

Alcohol By Volume Guide

Most wine ranges from 10-16% alcohol by volume. Some varietals tend to have higher (for example Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon) or lower alcohol levels (Pinot Noir and many white varietals), but there is always some variation from producer to producer. Some wine falls outside of this range, for instance Port weighs in closer to 20%, while Muscat and Riesling are usually a bit below 10%.

Wine Style Guide

Light & Crisp

Light to medium bodied wines that are high in acid and light to medium fruit. Typically no oak.